


New Wonders

by bluester



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Modern Character in Thedas, mcit2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 07:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20131624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluester/pseuds/bluester
Summary: When Ernest dies, he becomes something else entirely.Happy MCiT Week! Saw the prompt list and had to write something :)





	1. Spirit Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ernest wakes up.

Feet pounding against the ground. Slipping on water that isn’t quite there, rocks dully shining in the greenish light. Heart pounding, lungs burning with each breath - And then it was gone. He sighed. Human arms became mist again, swirling and taking up some semblance of the limbs he used to have. Lungs stopped burning, stopped existing entirely. He could feel the bitterness rising in him, and let out a hiss of pain. He couldn’t become his rage. Not when it had almost consumed him. Not like the many others who had before him.

He had been different, once. A real thing, made of flesh and blood and bone, living, breathing, so many different things all at once. And then he died. Or, his body did. There was nothing left of him, of that physical form. He had just wanted to feel it again, wanted to feel some semblance of normality. It was what drove him to continue with his existence in this void. 

He had been called Ernest, before. Now, the others called him Curiosity. He supposed that it was an alright name to have, especially here. He could have been his Rage, his Greed, his Fear. All of those forms had been washed away into the green mist, and he had been left with this. Left  _ like _ this. A mass of energy and vapour, cut down to his very foundation.

Curiosity had always liked learning. Maths, sciences, arts, he consumed everything and anything he could get his hands on. But all of that knowledge was useless, here. Why learn complex mathematical equations when you were nothing more than a featureless blob? Why study the meaning behind the greatest literary works if no one would debate your theories with you? There was no point in all of that knowledge if he couldn’t spread it to anyone else.

He could hear many things from this place. Or, should he call it the Fade? That’s what some of the others, Hope, Compassion, Desire and Valour had told him. Whispers of times long forgotten, languages like the ones he knew but different, twisted. It was exciting to have new material to scour over, to learn. It sated his need for knowledge, for the time being. Curiosity grew brighter and stronger with every new piece of knowledge he found, like adding a new log to a dwindling fire.

Apparently this world had magic too, which really shouldn't have surprised him at this point. He wanted to know everything and anything. For the first time in a while, he felt like himself.


	2. Magic Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Curiosity meets his new best friend, and returns to an old name.

Curiosity had learnt much in the Fade. Firstly, he learned that he was a spirit, not a demon or a wisp. Then he learned that there was a lot more to the whole magic thing than he had thought. By this point, Curiosity understood what exactly a Harrowing was. Some demon - sometimes a spirit - was dragged into a secluded area by people from across the Fade, and were forced into either attempting to persuade a human to be possessed or fight the human to death. Nasty business, it was. He tried his best to stay away from the areas known to drag other spirits to their demise. He would have no part in those barbaric practices.

So when he ended up trapped in an enclosed area with a fairly frightened human boy in front of him, and no escape in sight, he almost started to panic. But the kid in front of his was already panicking, and he had to do something - anything. He didn’t want to kill a kid, and he really didn’t want the kid to kill him. So possession was apparently his best option, now. 

“Hello child.” He said, letting his form ripple into his old self. Early 30’s, soft brown hair and eyes, a tired, but comforting smile. “I am sorry to be meeting you like this.” Before him, the boy openly sobbed, a slight spark flickering in his hands.

“Wh-Who are you?” The boy’s gaze was defiant, piercing, even. “What kind of demon are you? Pride? Wrath? Greed?” The boy straightened his shoulders to look Curiosity in the eyes. 

“I am no demon, child.” He replied gently. “I am a spirit. My name is Curiosity.” The boy’s nose wrinkled and his shoulders dropped. He looked confused, upset even?

“If you are not a demon, then why are you here?” The boy’s voice was softer now, and Curiosity bit back a sigh of relief. No lightning bolts flying at him yet. He was doing better than expected. Curiosity shrugged at the boys question, answering back with one of his own.

“Do you know how your…  _ Harrowing _ process works? The answer likely lies within it.” Oh, this would be nice. It would sate his need for knowledge for now.

“A demon is brought in the Fade and an apprentice must fight it to show that they are ready to become a mage.” The boy frowned up at Curiosity. “But the demon usually represents something that apprentices would be tempted by.” Curiosity raised one of his eyebrows. 

“Do you not desire knowledge, and the pursuit of it?” Curiosity stepped forwards, emboldened by the boys response. “I do not want to fight you, child. And I know that you do not want to fight me either.” The boy nodded at that, a frown appearing on his face.

“If I don’t fight you then…” The boy bit his lip, arms wrapping around himself. “Then I’ll fail my Harrowing and die or be made Tranquil.” Curiosity huffed. This boy was obviously not getting it.

“The only way out of this location for me is if I were to inhabit your body alongside you, child.” He explained, watching as the boy blinked up at him.

“That would mean-”

“Possession, yes.” Curiosity waved his hand, a scowl beginning to grow on his face. “But, as I am sure you are aware, normal possession would assume me taking control of your whole self - your whole being.” He shuddered. “That would not be right. I would much rather… fuse with you. That way we could both escape this wretched place, and I would not have to remove you from your body.” Curiosity waited a beat, watching the boy. “Do we have a deal?” He stretched his hand out, form starting to flicker slightly. Damnit.

There was a moment of tense silence, before the boy hesitantly reached his hand out. Their hands touched, and suddenly, Curiosity and the boy were seperate no longer. 

It was almost as if the boy’s body had snapped back to wherever it came from on the other side of the fade. They were in a small room, several armoured figures surrounding them. A woman stepped forwards, dressed in similar robes to the boy.

“Trevelyan?” She asked cautiously, and there was a dangerous moment where Curiosity found himself unable to do anything. But the boy was able to snap out of his stillness.

“It’s me, Senior Enchanter.” He says in a strong voice. Everyone looks relieved, and a smile breaks across the womans face.

“You had me worried there for a second.” She murmurs quietly to Trevelyan, who is warmed by her words. It was strange, that Curiosity can feel both his own and Trevelyan’s emotions, but he would work with what he had. There was celebration and merriment in what Curiosity learned was the Circle of Ostwick. Everyone was congratulating Trevelyan of a well deserved Harrowing, and Curiosity felt just a little bit of pride at their words. They had done it.

Later though, when everyone was in bed, Trevelyan sought him out in his - well, their head, now.

_ You said your name was Curiosity. Why is that?  _ Curiosity preened at the question. They were a good fit for each other. Trevelyan asked many questions.

** _Yes, it is. It is my very nature, my essence. My soul itself. _ ** Trevelyan was silent for some time, and Curiosity almost thought he had drifted off.

_ But.. Don’t you have a name? Like me?  _ Trevelyan’s thoughts turned soft and sad, remembering a time before he was who he was.

** _You are Trevelyan, are you not? That is your name? Your very nature? _ ** Curiosity was confused. Was that not his first name? His chosen name?

_ I prefer Maxwell.  _ Curiosity noted that. Maxwell. The boy wanted to be called Maxwell. There was another pause. _ You must have some sort of name? Well, besides Curiosity? _

** _… Ernest. My name was Ernest, a long, long time ago. _ ** Curiosity - Ernest, felt a pang in their chest. The name brought back a time before they were a spirit. When they were like Maxwell. Ernest could feel Maxwell’s confusion as he pushed those feelings away. It would do neither of them good now.

_ I like that name. It suits you.  _ Maxwell’s thoughts were beginning to get hazy and floaty, and Ernest felt himself being pulled under just as Maxwell was. Sleep. He hadn't slept for so long.

** _Thank you, Maxwell. For everything._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one's just a lot of talking! Tomorrow's prompt is going to be less talking :)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write some DA stuff for a while, and this prompt list inspired me to start doing so!


End file.
